Trinity Storytellers Handbook/Chapter Seven: Option: Alternate Character Creation
= Option: Alternate Character Creation = = Multi-Step Character Creation = When the Venezuelan Phenomenon swept through Earth-space, the changes it brought were more drastic than anyone first thought. Once the initial disruptions to psi abilities died down and people adapted to the new currents in the subquantum medium, many thought that it was back to business as usual. It was several months before people realized what they should have right off the bat. The Prometheus Chambers stand out like beacons in the subquantum universe. When a literal storm struck the noetic medium, the tanks could not be expected to emerge entirely unscathed. Prior to the Venezuelan Phenomenon, once a latent was dunked, one could expect the changes made to the new psion to be fairly uniform, generally speaking. The same sorts of improvements got made to everyone triggered. Now, however, while the tanks still improve everyone to the same degree, the specifics are far more variable than they had been previously. In other words, the denizens of the Trinity Era now have another character creation system to use. Reasons Why So, what’s this section here for? Why do the Trinity players and Storytellers reading this require another character creation system? Well, you don’t. No, really. The existing Trinity character generation system works fine. It was based on a system with six years of successful use in the original World of Darkness. However, two years after Trinity was released, its sequel, Aberrant, came out. Aberrant included a new character generation system with two steps: creation of a baseline human was the first step. Character creation could stop right there, and players could play a normal human. However, step two was the eruption, in which players detailed the changes that happened to their baselines in order for them to become a full-fledged nova. This character creation system returned in the Trinity Universe’s final game, Adventure!, and even saw a version of itself appear in the WoD’s Mummy: The Resurrection. It’s more flexible in what it allows, and it makes it easier on the Storyteller should they want to run a prelude. So the goal of this chapter is to bring Trinity back in line with the rest of the Trinity Universe by providing a useful, flexible character creation system. A neutral human in step one, put through the Prometheus Chamber in step two to become a full psion. Of course, White Wolf’s new World of Darkness takes the multiple-step character creation and streamlines it, “perfecting” it, making all its games wonderfully cross-compatible. But that’s a chapter for another time. Trinity d20, by the way, already incorporates this system in its own way by requiring players to make a human, then apply the psychic template. So d20 readers can just skip over this section entirely. How Did You Do It? If you’re interested in a little behind-the-scenes look at how I created this system, I’ll let you know how I went about it. First I opened up my copies of Aberrant and Adventure!. For the most part, I used their Phase One and their point costs, except where they differed significantly with Trinity (Trinity’s use of Ability Groups, for example). Where the point costs were the same between several games, I kept the value. Where they varied between Aberrant and Adventure!, I opted for the median, figuring psions are somewhere around halfway between the power level of Adventure!'s Inspired and Aberrant's novas. Incidentally, if you were to make a character with the system in the Trinity rulebook, and then made a character using this system who was as close as possible to the original system, it would cost you 19 Psion Points. Averaging out the number of Inspiration (13) and Nova Points (30) given out in character creation in Adventure! and Aberrant, respectively, gave me 21.5 Points. So the 20 I decided on, besides being a nice round number, is perfectly suited. Character Creation We assume at this point that you’ve read Chapter Two: Character in the Trinity rulebook, and are fairly familiar with the process of creating a character using the method described therein. Being familiar with the multi-step systems detailed in Aberrant or Adventure! wouldn’t hurt, but aren’t strictly necessary. Phase One: Neutral Step One: Concept This step is almost entirely identical to the Step One detailed on page 165 in the Trinity rulebook. We suggest the following order: •Choose Origin: As in the Trinity rulebook. There’s a section on page 98 of the Trinity Players Guide which explores Origin and helps along its development. If you have access to the TPG, it’s highly recommended you read this section. You may skip this step now if you like, but must complete it after your transformation. •Choose Nature: As in the Trinity rulebook. Remember there’s a selection of additional Nature Archetypes on pages 99-101 of the TPG. •Choose Allegiance: As in the Trinity rulebook. Aside from the Allegiances listed there, each order has its own internal divisions which may function as Allegiances. Again, the TPG has a section on Allegiances on pages 101-108. Note that Aptitude is no longer included in this section. As a neutral, your character does not (yet!) have an Aptitude. At your Storyteller’s discretion, however, you may still pick a preferred Aptitude if you’re playing a strong latent. Step Two: Choosing Attributes This functions in the same manner as in the Trinity rulebook. The only difference is the points allotted for each of the three Attribute categories. For these values, see Step Two of the “Who Needs Psi Powers?” sidebar in Trinity, page 168. What’s With the Scavenger Hunt? Sorry. Really. But it’s for our own good. White Wolf’s web policy states, among other things, that anyone using White Wolf’s IP can’t include full character creation rules. Obviously, that’s a problem in a section dedicated to character creation. As of this writing, we know of one such project, a large one several years in the making, which was taken down for just this reason. But what we can do is tell you where to find the information you need. All of Phase One, the most important part, will simply make reference to other books. Where we can, we’ll reference the Trinity rulebook, since if you’re reading this, it’s a good bet you already have it. The quick-reference character creation table will have handy blanks for you to fill in the relevant numbers. We’d love to do more, but we don’t want the Storytellers Handbook project to be our last. Thanks for understanding, and I hope this is all as painless as possible. Step Three: Choosing Abilities This functions in the same way as Step Three on page 165 of the Trinity rulebook. Note what was said about Allegiance above for alternate Ability Groups. The Trinity Players Guide also clarifies some Abilities and offers some new ones. The new Abilities have been included for your convenience on the character sheet in the back of this book. Step Four: Backgrounds Functions identically to Step Four on page 166 of the Trinity rulebook, except only Backgrounds are selected, not Modes. The TPG elaborates on these Backgrounds, as well as providing several more. All are included on the character sheet at the back of the book. Step Five: Finishing Touches •Assign Willpower and •Assign Psi as detailed in Step Four of the “Who Needs Psi Powers?” sidebar on page 169 of the Trinity rulebook. •Calculate Initiative and Movement, figured in the same fashion as detailed in Step Five on page 168 of Trinity. Step Six: Bonus Points Calculated as per the chart on page 168 of Trinity, except Aptitude Modes and Auxiliary Modes aren’t allowed to be purchased at this point. Players can still purchase Psi if they like, although if they spend all their bonus points on Psi, they’ll have a very high Psi rating for a neutral. Phase Two: Psion Now you have a pretty good idea of what your character was like before she became a psion. You can use that character as a neutral in any game, or use her while running a prelude before applying Phase Two. You may even use this character as a base for applying a different Phase Two, as seen in other chapters of this book. However, in this Phase Two, your character becomes triggered as a psion. Step One: The Triggering The most important moment of a psion’s life is his triggering in the Prometheus Chamber. It’s a literal rebirth, an awakening to one aspect of the vast realm of the Noetic Totality. The character awakens to whichever Aptitude is assigned to the Prometheus Chamber in which he is dunked. The chamber doesn’t just allow the nascent psion to use noetic abilities, however, it also fine-tunes his genetic structure, making him stronger, faster, better. •Choose Origin, if you skipped it in Phase One. See the Phase One notes for more on Origins. •Choose Aptitude, based on those presented on page 194 of the Trinity rulebook. Depending on when in the timeline your game is set, your Storyteller may want to include teleportation as an option. Step Two: Psion Points This is the step in which the Prometheus Chamber does its work. Psi and psi abilities are opened up to the character. Most players will want to select ranks in the Modes related to their Aptitude. Some will also want to select an Auxiliary Mode or two, although keep in mind that you can never exceed a single dot in each Auxiliary Mode. Players may also buy up additional trait dots all over their sheet. Players have 20 Psion Points to assign. For the point costs, see the Psion Point table on page XX of this book. Step Three: Finishing Touches If Dexterity or Wits have changed, recalculate Initiative and Movement, and record your Skill Totals in the boxes provided. Calculate soak based on Stamina. Run through the “Spark of Life” section on page 168 of the Trinity rulebook. Congratulations, you’re done! Character Creation Table This covers the character creation process in short form; refer to the appropriate sections for details. Available points are listed where possible. Key: Tr: Trinity rulebook, TPG: Trinity Players Guide, TSH: Trinity Storytellers Handbook Phase One: Neutral •Step One: Concept Choose Origin (Tr 163), Nature (Tr 177) and Allegiance (Tr 179) •Step Two: Select Attributes (Tr 180) Prioritize the three areas: Physical, Mental and Social Choose primary Attributes (__ points) Choose secondary Attributes (__ points) Choose tertiary Attributes (__ points) •Step Three: Select Abilities (Tr 182) Choose Ability Group (based on Allegiance) (___ points) Choose other desired Abilities (___ points) •Step Four: Select Backgrounds Choose Backgrounds (Tr 186) (__ points) •Step Five: Finishing Touches Record initial Willpower (__), Psi (__), Initiative (______________ + ___________), Movement (walk __m, run ____+ ___m, sprint x __ + ___m) •Step Six: Spend Bonus Points Spend Bonus Points (___ points) BOX Bonus Points Trait Cost per dot Attributes __ Abilities __ Specialties (max. three per Ability) __ Backgrounds __ Willpower __ Initiative __ BOX Phase Two: Psion •Step One: The Triggering Choose Origin (Tr 163) and Aptitude (Tr 194) •Step Two: Psion Points Spend 20 Psion Points on Aptitude Modes; Auxiliary Modes; Psi; or extra Attributes, Abilities and Backgrounds. Psi may not be increased higher than 8 at this point. •Step Three: Phase Two Finishing Touches Record changes to Skill Totals (if any), changes to Initiative and movement (if any), bashing and lethal soak. BOX Psion Points Trait Psion Points Psi 3 Aptitude Modes 3 Auxiliary Modes (max. one dot each) 5 2 Attribute dots 1 5 Ability dots 1 3 Background dots 1 Willpower 1 BOX Storytellers should be aware that although all characters created with this system will balance out in the long run, it’s possible to get obscenely high Psi ratings or big handfuls of Modes. Such characters won’t have much in the way of additional Backgrounds or Attributes, of course. Accordingly, some Storytellers may wish to place a cap on some traits at certain stages of character creation. Preventing players from purchasing more than a Psi of 2 during the first phase is a good idea, as is capping Psi at 5 or 8 during Phase Two. Aptitudes may be limited to three dots in each Mode, or perhaps even three dots overall. It’s your game, and thus your choice. = Extended Modes = In 2102, the Doyen imbued eight individuals with the ability to manipulate the subquantum medium. Although each was locked into being able to access only a small portion of the Noetic Totality, these proxies were unrivaled masters of their particular Aptitudes. In the twenty years since this event, the proxies and their respective orders have had a lot of time to do research into the nature of psi and their condition. Some have done so in an effort to break (or at least bend) the boundaries between the Aptitudes. Some have done so as a side effect of other research, or in an effort to fully explore the slice of the noetic pie that they’ve been dealt. Perhaps some even came about purely unintentionally as the next evolution of noetics in the wake of the Venezuelan Phenomenon. As a result, by 2123 each order has actually created an additional Mode. Not all of these are public knowledge, of course, and most are heavily restricted. But they exist nonetheless. They’re not yet at the point where they’re widely available, and certainly no alternate Modes for these powers have yet been developed (although they may appear in future books). Storytellers can use these powers as a surprise to spring on players: “Hey, that guy’s obviously a psion, but what’s that power that he’s using?” It could also be used as a reward. With duty above and beyond the call, an order may reward the character with access to secret new powers. Biokinesis Egomorphing Transform into inanimate objects •Level One: Sleep of the Dead. The discovery of this power was practically accidental and very nearly ignored in the Norca’s research. Though the scientists didn’t realize it at the time, they had stumbled onto the Rosetta Stone of Egomorphing. The Sleep of the Dead isolates the core mind of the psion and sustains it by generating an absolutely minimal bioelectrical charge. Most importantly, this charge and the resulting ego pattern are then dissipated throughout the body. In effect, the psion appears to be dead and all but the most advanced bio-scanning equipment can prove otherwise. The experience is likened to a deep, dreamless sleep. System: Spend a point and roll psi. The number of successes is then applied against any check to determine whether or not the psion is dead. For example, if the psion rolls three successes, any attempt to scan him for life signs will be at a +3 difficulty. This is equally applicable to any form of scanning, psionic, technological, or otherwise. d20: Spend a point? And roll psi? Success chart dealie=negatives to scans. Badoosh! ••Level Two: Inanimate Fusion. Once the psion has mastered dissipating their ego, they are ready to apply the same principle to their physical template as well. At this level, the psion learns to meld their body into an inanimate object of equal or greater size, simultaneously dispersing their ego and body within it while using a subtle bioelectric field to maintain their sentience. The psion’s perceptions remain the same, but they can sense from any surface of the object they are fused to. System: As level 1…botching is messy. Very messy. d20: Blah blah blah •••Level Three: Nature’s Pocket. The reverse of Inanimate Fusion, this technique allows the psion to incorporate a small, inanimate object into their bodies by dispersing it’s mass and using a bioelectric charge to sustain the object’s template. At this level, the psion can only absorb one object at a time, regardless of size, however, the object will be neigh undetectable. System: Spend a point, roll psi. Success are applied against attempts to locate the object. d20: Blah blah blah ••••Level Four: Mimicry. The psion alters their form into a perfect replica of an inanimate object. The object must be of equal mass as the psion. The transformation occurs at the subquantum level and incorporates all of the skills of the previous Egomorphing powers simultaneously. As a result, maintaining this state is taxing and achieving it in the first place is very difficult. System: Spend a point, roll psi. Each success is applied against detection attempts. Also, the number of success determines the duration of the transformation (5 rds/success ?) d20: Blah blah blah •••••Level Five: Thaumaturgy. Applies any egomorphing power to another living subject. System: Resisted roll: psi + noetics (?). d20: Blah blah blah Clairsentience Precognition This Mode, designed to peer into the infinite stream of possibility that is the future, has actually been in use within ISRA for some time, although predominantly by the Old Man or the Mashriqi. Although it popped up periodically among the members of the order, it was never really considered that useful. Particularly as Otha Herzog’s Vision Process 418 inched closer. Now, of course, ISRA’s on the other side of the noetic wall. Psychometry is nearly useless when looking beyond last summer’s Venezuelan Phenomenon. While the past is certainly important, what the order needs to do now is look forward, to the future. Accordingly, this Mode is becoming highly sought-after. No one’s certain if this trend will continue or if psychometry will return to the forefront once sufficient time has elapsed from Process 418. •Level One: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah ••Level Two: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah •••Level Three: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah ••••Level Four: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah •••••Level Five: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah Electrokinesis Magnetokinesis Many people often overlook the fact that an electrokinetic’s control over the electromagnetic spectrum must, necessarily, include magnetism. Orgotek itself wasn’t much involved in related research, except as a side effect of their application of electromanipulation. Except for one enterprising engineer, whose special project contest, based on magnetism, impressed everyone up to the prexy. This engineer is currently director in charge of Tekne Group’s latest division, Polaris. Polaris employees focus on practical applications for magnetism, and even Cassel has to admit that magnetics fits nicely within his view of “orgone.” It’s not a big or even very well-developed Mode, but it’s catching on throughout Orgotek as the latest fad. Rumor has it that Polaris is planning to strike off on their own, but Cassel is, for now, uncertain if he’s willing to let them go just yet. : Magnetokinesis: listen in/hijack transmissions, remote control, radiation shielding, special sight options in other parts of the spectrum... •Level One: Current Sight. See magnetic currents. Whee! System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah ••Level Two: Local EMP. Awww…it’s so cute. Wait, what’s wrong with my computer? System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah •••Level Three: Magnetic Shield. Magneto! Bubble or wall! You foolish X-men cannot hurt me! BWAAAHAHAHAHAAHAAHAHAHA! System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah ••••Level Four: Signal Jack. Got your signal! HAHA! I am the human wiretap! System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah •••••Level Five: EMP. BABOOM! No electronics for you, sucka! Good enough roll: No electric activity on ANY kind for you, sucka! (OW, my brains!) System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah Psychokinesis Entropokinesis Although technically referred to as “senikinesis,” the manipulation of bonds, most Legionnaires have been calling this mode “entropokinesis,” the manipulation of entropy. Psychokinesis, particularly cryo- and pyro-kinesis, concern the speeding up or slowing down of molecules. Entropokinesis involves the strengthening or weakening of atomic bonds, rendering something aged and fragile or amazingly strong and resilient. It’s been in development for a while as a defensive Mode — imagine a suit of armor as light as cotton, because it is cotton — but its devastating effects as an offensive Mode were quickly realized. : '' Entropokinesis and Precognition look like they could have a steady power curve, like Mage spheres.'' •Level One: Template Defense. The psion reinforces his genetic template by actively circling his atomic bonds with psion particles, in effect, creating a psychic armor against physical attacks. Instead of resisting direct traumas, such as laser blasts or bludgeoning, this power defends against genetic diseases, taint related intrusions, and environmental damage. System: Spend a psi point and roll psi. For each success, the psion adds a dot of soak against attempts to damage him at a genetic or atomic level. This kind of damage includes radiation, taint exposure, or psi powers that alter the physical structure of the psion (storyteller’s discretion). Against powers that either ‘work or don’t’, the soak can be used as a resistance roll instead (eg: Vitakinetic’s aggravation power dealie) d20: Increases the DC of powers affecting the psion and adds a bonus to Fortitude saves against radiation, taint, genetic disease, etc. equal to the number of success (?). ••Level Two: Strengthen Template. Sound familiar? It should, but instead of affecting the psion, the psion can bolster the defense of a target or other object. System: Same as above for living targets. As well as the soak, inanimate targets gain extra damage levels equal to the number of successes. Note that the defense bonus applies only to damage being done to the OBJECT and will not prevent attacks that circumvent it (eg: a strengthened t-shirt will block radiation targeting the chest, stomach, or back, but not other parts of the body). If the target qualifies as a full suit of armor (is self enclosed and continuous), the soak bonus is cumulative with Template Defense. d20: Same as level one when applied to other living targets. Inanimate objects gain damage reduction equal to success (?) in addition to the improved save and raised DC. If used on a suitable armor (one that provides adequate protection against the damage source), the bonuses to fortitude stack. •••Level Three: Steel Skin. Hang on, hang on. Inanimate objects get extra damage levels? What’s up with that? I want that too! Well, I’m getting to that greedy pants. Relax. System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah ••••Level Four: Decay. So wait. I can strengthen bonds between atoms? Why can’t I break ‘em down yet? It’s level four already! Well, now you can. So there. System: Weakens physical materials…reduces soak/success (psi roll, spend point) d20: Blah blah blah •••••Level Five: Gradually melting stuff is kewl and all, but I want to make big firey explosions! C’mon, give me some kick! Okay wiseass, howsabout the NUCLEAR PUNCH! BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM! System: Exactly as it sounds. Without protection, the psion will be consumed too. A blast with the psion’s body as the epicenter is created (10’ radius/success). Requires a successful unarmed melee attack of any kind. Damage is considered lethal. Add permanent psi to normal damage dice. d20: Blah blah blah Quantakinesis Probabilistics 21st-century noetic scientists — known as “parapsychologists” — had been making progress examining several types of psychic phenomena. Although their work was far cruder than modern techniques, they often worked on something unusually and almost entirely unmentioned in modern noetic theory: what they called “micro-PK.” Micro-PK was originally thought to be just a different kind of psychokinesis, but it was eventually determined to be an entirely different discipline. Although the method was the unconscious manipulation of particles on the atomic level, micro-PK could best be described as the conscious manipulation of probability. It seemed nearly everyone possessed it to some degree, although some more than others. It may have been the first research into the phenomena today known collectively as paramorphs. Although remaining quantakinetics are few and far between, they have been busy. Often, they’re just trying to keep themselves out of harm’s way, and being able to manipulate probabilities is definitely an advantage in such a situation. Probabilistics is, however, a much more flexible Mode than just that. This was a Mode which was highly crude and poorly developed, but the Venezuelan Phenomenon appears to have advanced its capacity by leaps and bounds until it was a full Mode. : '' Hmm... Probabilistics sounds like you could tack on a few of Adventure knacks and make them a little more general, like Navigational Hazard'' •Level One: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah ••Level Two: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah •••Level Three: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah ••••Level Four: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah •••••Level Five: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah Telepathy Mindsieve An extrapolation of the Ministry’s crowd control techniques, Mindsieve functions as a sort of “poor man’s clairsentience.” It sifts the memories of multiple people in order to reconstruct a past event. Where it differs from clairsentience is its reliance on the memories. Peoples’ recollections are colored by their own expectations and emotions, which likewise colors the recreation of events the telepath witnesses. This is both a strength and a weakness: while a clear would be aware of all the facts of the circumstance, the telepath may be aware of the motives and emotions behind them. •Level One: System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah ••Level Two: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah •••Level Three: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah ••••Level Four: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah •••••Level Five: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah Teleportation Chronoportation This Mode was initially discovered by accident during the Upeo’s exile from Earth-space. Not having access to many clairsentients, the teleporters had to rely on their own astronomical observations to locate appropriate systems. And once seen in enough detail, can be teleported to. Their first target was a planet some five light-years from their base of operations in the insert system. So, since the limited speed of light meant that their observations were of the planet as it existed five years ago, that’s the planet they saw. When one of the scouts — one of the first handful of Upeo — teleported, initially everything was as scans had indicated. However, he quickly discovered that he had actually teleported to his destination five years in the past. He set up a signaling beacon and returned home to the same point at which he had left. He pointed his colleagues’ attention to the planet and the signaling beacon which had just become visible. The Mode has expanded since then, but has largely remained a secret until the Upeo’s return. Some of the teleporters who knew the Mode have split off to join the Star-Crossed, and have started spreading it around. Atwan has had almost no choice but to allow others to learn it. •Level One: System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah ••Level Two: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah •••Level Three: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah ••••Level Four: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah •••••Level Five: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah Vitakinesis Iatrogenesis Individual docs call this by different names — necrosis, psychalgesis and the like — but the official name is iatrogenesis. The “iatro” prefix comes from the Greek iatros, meaning “physician,” and the “-genic” suffix, meaning “induced by,” is derived from the International Scientific Vocabulary. Combined, of course, they become iatrogenic, meaning “physician-induced.” An iatrogenic disease is obviously, then, disease which is caused by a physician. A more convoluted explanation than most, but it’s the one Dr. Zweidler favors. Just like algesis is the flip side of iatrosis, iatrogenesis is the flipside of mentasis. It causes mental anguish. While psychological ailments are largely the domain of the Ministry and telepathy, iatrogenesis deals more with actual physical ailments of the brain. Strokes, tumors, chemical imbalances, and the like. •Level One: System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah ••Level Two: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah •••Level Three: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah ••••Level Four: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah •••••Level Five: Blah blah blah System: Blah blah blah d20: Blah blah blah